


The Prince of Illusion

by Leonalielee



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Blood, Centaur Logic | Logan Sanders, Human Thomas Sanders, Kidnapping, M/M, Mage Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Mage Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Magic, Merman Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Minor Character Death, Morality | Patton Sanders is Anxiety | Virgil Sanders' Parent, Naga Deceit Sanders, Naga Deceit | Janus Sanders, Near Death Experiences, Prince Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Prince Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Rescue Missions, Shapeshifting, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:13:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonalielee/pseuds/Leonalielee
Summary: Roman Heden used to be an actual prince. The prince of a kingdom filled with magic and mystical creatures. But when he was 10, his castle was invaded, his parents murdered and his brother taken from him. He grew up to be a man who fought to free his people who were now slaves. One day he catches wind of a merman in need of saving, and it turns into a much bigger journey than he thought to get the poor thing back to the ocean, with how many human kingdoms wanted his head. But who knows, maybe this will become something beautiful.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Comments: 52
Kudos: 182





	1. Prologue

Sometimes, a perfect happily ever after is just a curtain. The humans saw the end of this war as a perfect ending, the best one they could get, the heroic ending. A happily ever after. The magic, the monsters, the dangerous kingdom, was taken down. They were saved. It was perfect. To them.

For Roman and his family, it was the worst ending. They were sitting at dinner, tense silence radiating through the room, only broken by the king and queen, his parents, whispering tensely to try to hide the situation from the two children sitting at the opposite end of the table. The twin 10-year-olds were not as oblivious as they were portrayed, they knew that their kingdom was falling, and knew that it was only a matter of time before the humans came marching in to claim their home. They would be prisoners or worse, slaves. As much as the humans claimed to hate magic, thinking it was dangerous, they loved using it to make their lives so much easier. A family of mages would fetch a high price, Remus, Roman’s twin brother once reasoned, so the idea of them being prisoners was a hope over a probability.

It really was a surprise to no one when the doors flew open, frightened servants of the castle fluttering about and ushering the royal family out of their seats, forgotten dinners left behind.

“Your majesties, the castle is being attacked, we must get you all out of here!” One cyclops maid cried, but Roman’s father stood steady, his wife beside him.

“We cannot allow this castle to be overrun. It is the last bastion of hope in this war.” Roman’s Mother told them firmly.

“Get the boys out of here, we will stay and fight.” The servants swarmed the boys, carrying them away from their parents, the smell of smoke rising in the air and they were swept into the escape tunnels, dusty and out of use. 

The night air was clouded with smoke, and Roman turned back to see the castle, his home, was being engulfed in flames, the bright orange eating it from the ground up. The world seemed to blur around him as the screams of the servants, and of his parents, raised into the air. He distantly recognized that a maid was pulling him along, the same cyclops as before, but all he could feel was fear and grief as he recognized that his parents were no more.

The night passed by in a blur. At some point he was thrown over the maid’s shoulder, he had been lagging behind too far. He met eyes with his brother, who was hitching a piggyback ride from a maid with four arms and three eyes. Remus’s own eyes were red-rimmed with tears. They both understood what happened. 

Sometimes as the dawn of the next day broke, they had been walking for hours, Roman all out of tears to cry, his hands numb from hanging from the maid, the group stopped. Roman looked up, trying to see over his shoulder, and what he saw made his heart stop.

“P-please, they are just children…” Remus’s maid pleaded with the musket holding humans who had stopped them.

BANG

Then there were three. Remus scrambled out from under the body of the maid who had carried him through the night, a cry of anguish tearing from his throat, shiny emerald eyes glowing with his building emotions. Roman was sure his own ruby red eyes were lighting up by now. 

BANG

This was an execution, Roman decided, hands scrambling to catch himself as the cyclops under him collapsed, blood seeping into his prim and proper clothes, a testament to the rich life he had been living hours before. His brother came to his side and they clung to each other, waiting for the shots that would lead to their blood spilling onto the forest floor. But it never came.

“Twin mages. Two halves of a whole. We’ve heard that twins are much more powerful, a great power divided between them. They are very dangerous together. They would be amazing slaves. Separate them, tame them, then we’ll bring them back together and take advantage of this power,” The human who seemed to be the leader of the group ordered, and suddenly there were hands on Roman, tearing him away from his brother, attempting to gag him.

“Roman, no!” Remus shrieked, writhing in the grip of the humans.

“Remus!” Roman flailed about, kicking and scratching, trying to get the hands off of him. He looked up to his brother, eyes widening as he saw Remus muttering and tracing shapes into the air. 

There was a flash, Roman closed his eyes just in time, but the humans, who hadn’t been expecting it, reeled back, dropping the 10-year-olds, who immediately took off.

“Great job!” Roman managed to get out as they darted through the forest.

“Aww, it was nothing,” His brother replied.

It seemed like they were getting close to the river, the sound of running water was getting stronger. Once they got there, the merfolk could help them. If there were any left. Just as the water came into view, Remus cried out in pain and fell. Roman skidded to a stop and rushed to his brother’s side. An arrow had pierced his brother’s right calf, preventing him from running further. A new group of humans, these ones carrying pitchforks, and one with a crossbow had caught them. Roman put one of Remus’s arms over his shoulder, trying to help his brother up.

“Just to the river, we gotta make it to the river, ok? We’re almost there,” Roman was trying to encourage himself as much as his brother, who was limping painfully along. They knew the humans were getting close, knew it was useless to keep going, but they couldn’t just give up. Remus let out another pained shriek as yet another arrow struck him. Clearly the human was aiming to hit Roman, in the shoulder or arm perhaps, but it was now embedded in his brother’s arm slung around Roman’s shoulder. 

“We’ll get to the river, just hold on,” Roman pleaded with his brother, even as the ground started to tremble with the approaching group. They were near the water’s edge when an arrow firmly lodged itself in the center of Roman’s back, causing a scream to tear out of his throat, it was the most blinding pain he’d ever felt. The force of it hitting him threw him forward, both him and his brother splashing into the water. The merfolk had been waiting, they had seen the boys when they were fleeing to the ocean downstream. A broad-shouldered merman pulled Roman onto his back, keeping his head above the water, which was stained red from his and his brother’s blood. Remus was struggling to keep conscious, so much of his blood leaking, that the mermaid that grabbed him had to float on her back to help him keep his head above the water. 

They had made it out, they were safe. Roman felt shaky sobs make their way out of his mouth, mourning his parents and the servants who gave their lives to save the boys. Just as they saw the river emptying into the ocean, his merman barked “Hold your breath!” And dove under the water. Roman followed the instructions, though his back screamed in pain as water streamed passed his wound, tugging at the arrow, and when they resurfaced, he looked back to see that humans had been dangling nets in the water in hopes of catching fleeing merfolk. His eyes widened in horror when he realized Remus’s mermaid had been caught. In order to lay on her back and keep Remus from drowning, she had been floating backward down the river, just looking downstream to see where they were going. She had likely seen the net but crashed into it before she could turn over and dive while making sure her ward didn’t get a lungful of water. The humans were gleefully hoisting the mermaid, and Roman’s unconscious brother out of the river, shouting in triumph.

“No! We have to go back!” Roman cried, “Remus! Stop, we have to save him! Please go back!” he pleaded with the merman, whose face was set, but pain lined his eyes. He obviously had a relationship with the mermaid and had seen loss that day too.

“Please, we have to save my brother!” He sobbed, “I can’t lose him too…” 

“Please…”


	2. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's Roman up to these days?

“You scumbag! You dirty street rat!” The vendor shouted after Roman as the 22-year-old ran from her shop, stuffing apples and peaches into his satchel. As always, he had to steal for food, a pretty far fall from his previous life as a prince, but it’s a bit hard to get a job in a kingdom you are wanted in. Anyone that stared too hard at him would recognize his face, and he couldn’t mask the bright red of his eyes that gave away that he was not human forever. Plus, he already had a life goal, and getting a job was not part of that. Now, someone was waiting for him outside the town, in the nearby forest. He wasn’t able to mask his identity like Roman could. Unlike Roman, who only had his eyes to worry about, his companion was a bit trickier.

“There he is, officer! That scoundrel has been stealing from my store all week!” Roman turned to see the angry baker sneering at him, one he had been snagging jelly rolls from for his friend, who had a particular obsession with the specific jelly most of the bakers in this kingdom used. The guard glared, no doubt recognizing him from his many wanted posters.

“Hello, fellows!” The former prince called before disappearing into some random alley, winking at a lady airing out her laundry, tossing her a coin, and placing a finger to his lips. She winked back, turning back to her clothes. Not everyone would rat him out in this town, as long as he had a few coins on him.

The alleyway led to the town square, where Roman attempted to blend in with the crowd, tossing a coin and apple to a beggar boy with a soft smile before slipping by, making his way toward the edge of town. He had memorized the placement of the guards and knew how to avoid them, hoisting himself on top of a flat-roofed shop, a blacksmith of some sort, and used the smoke billowing from the chimney to hide from the guards stationed just below him, having a conversation with the blacksmith. Roman paused to listen, the guards usually had some juicy gossip.

“-won’t stop bragging about the merman he caught a few weeks ago. He’s making a good heap of money.” One was saying. Roman’s interest was peaked. Merfolk were rarely caught anymore, last he had heard, most pods would rather struggle to live in the dangerous open waters of the sea than be caught by humans. 

“Oh for sure. My wife won’t shut up about it. Every day, she tries to convince me to go after one of them magical critters.” A voice he assumed to be the Blacksmith replied, “‘Don, the fisher’s wife has a pretty pearl necklace, oh Don the fisher’s wife just got a new gown, oh Don did you see the fisher’s wife’s new shoes, they shine so much brighter than my old and worm down ones, Don, your father was a hunter, you could hunt down a centaur, they’d fetch a high price, or one of those lil faeries.’ Always nagging me.” His imitation of a lady was so bad Roman almost let out a snort, but he decided to go check out the fisher’s house to see if he really did catch a merman. Standing up, Roman dropped the mask of brown over his eyes, and as soon as the cherry red was revealed, his vision became sharper and clearer.

Looking around, he saw what seemed to be a house with a dock to the lake behind it. The lake was mainly comprised of rainwater, with a stream much too small to swim in as a merman the only outlet. It was likely that if a merman was caught in that lake, it was because he had gotten stuck there as just a guppy. Poor thing. It had probably been there since the kingdom fall, or earlier. 

Roman snuck through town, avoiding the much more alert than usual guards. Word had definitely spread of his presence, and he had to be extra careful. But he was experienced. He got to the fisher’s house no problem. A quick peek around the back was all he needed to know that there was in fact, a merman present. It seemed as if the fisher had dug out a small, maybe four feet across hole, barely two feet deep, lined it with clay, and filled it with water before dumping his captive into it. The merman was clearly heat-stricken, curled up as much as he could in what was probably hot water from the sun, trying to keep himself wet so he could breathe better. Merfolk could breathe in air, but it was an uncomfortable ordeal. His face was hidden by matted bangs, but Roman could see that he was deathly pale. He had shackles around his wrists and neck, making him have to keep his hands close to his face to prevent him from hurting himself. There were patches of scales missing on his tale, and it suddenly made sense why the fisher was getting so much money. He was selling mermaid scales on the black market.

Many times, though Roman made it his life to try to save as many of his former subjects as he could, he was too late. Many times, the only remnants would by a tooth of a dragon, the eye of a cyclops or mage, the scale of a merperson, or some other gruesomely removed body part. They were sold on the black market, which spanned across the continent, through many kingdoms, and the law turned a blind eye to them. The humans wanted them for some purpose or another, from decoration to magic properties to straight-up sadism. It was sickening. Roman would not let this merman suffer the same fate. He had to go get his friend, and they would get him to the sea. 

Turning and hightailing it to the woods, Roman headed back to where he and his friend were camped out, already devising a rescue plan.

“Logan, we have a job!” He said as soon as his companion came into view. 

“About time, you got back, I was starting to get restless.” Logan stood up to full height, much taller than Roman. “Who are we rescuing this time?” 

“A Merman, he got caught by a fisherman, we gotta bring him to the sea, think you can help out with that?” Roman asked. His friend smiled.

“I’m a centaur. I’m made for travel. I don’t know why you even ask. Now, let’s sit down and make a real plan.”  
~~~

That night, Roman went back into town and filled their water jugs, which Logan carried on his lower horse half with a pannier. This was the first time they would be transporting a merperson like this, the few times they had rescued merpeople was intercepting caravans that had them in tanks, and Roman would steal the wagon with the tank and bring them back to their body of water. This was a first all around.

Their plan was as follows: In the morning, before anyone was awake, Roman would climb over the fence and snatch the mermaid out of the water, using a strength spell if he had to because merfolk could be pretty heavy, just like most other creatures. Roman would hand the merman over the fence to Logan, who would get him situated on his back and they would make a break for the woods. Roman would make sure the people in the house didn’t sound the alarm and then join them back at camp where they would make sure the merman stayed wet and get him to the nearest ocean outlet river, which was about two days trip away, with stops planned at various ponds and lakes to let the merman properly breathe.

All they had to do was make sure the plan went off without a hitch.


	3. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rescue mission

“Hey, hey kid!” Jeez, the merman was really out of it. Tired eyes stared off into nowhere as Roman tried to catch his attention. He was obviously suffering from heatstroke, the smell of bile was strongly wafting up from a puddle next to the makeshift pool. Even in the cool morning air, he was panting heavily, and repeatedly swallowed, making pitiful sounds. He wouldn’t be able to assist his escape, like Roman had hoped, and his state could be fatal. The day before had been particularly sweltering, so it was a wonder the merman wasn’t already dead. 

Roman sighed and dipped his hands under the water, which should have been cold, freezing, even, from the night, but was still lukewarm. The clay must have absorbed heat and kept the water warm, along with the heat that was rolling off the merman in waves. Roman hooked his arms under the merman’s tail and arms and picked him up, grunting with the weight. Dazed, the merman attempted to say something, obviously not having any idea what was going on, managing to slur out, “Who’re you?” 

“Someone here to rescue you,” Roman said, making his way to the fence where Logan was waiting. 

“Oh, nice,” The merman giggled slightly as Roman passed him over the fence to Logan, who got the boy situated on his back, letting the poor thing cling to him around his human waist, even if it did get his shirt wet. Roman turned back to complete the mission by making sure none of the humans in the house followed them. He froze as he realized that a burly man, likely the fisher, was standing on the porch in shock, holding a small bucket and a pair of pliers. He had come to pluck out more of the merman’s scales. As he opened his mouth to shout, Roman muttered a spell and the warm water the merman had been trapped in sprayed the man in the face. The fisher spluttered and dropped the things in his hands to fend off the water as Roman quickly approached. The former prince grabbed for his bag, pulling out a length of rope, always a good thing to have on hand during a rescue mission. He attempted to tie the man up as quickly and quietly as he could, but the fisher was a big guy, and he wasn’t about to be taken down so easily. Once his initial shock wore off, he was taking swings at Roman, shouting angrily.

There was no way his family and possibly the neighbors hadn’t heard it. Roman decided it might be better to just get out of there now because at this point it was wasting time to tie him up, who knows if there was already a family member running down to get the guards. 

“Caliga Altor!” Roman whispered, and a heavy mist formed in the yard, making it difficult to see as the former prince climbed over the fence and ran into the forest. At least that would throw them off a bit.

~~~

“There you are, I was beginning to think I would have to leave without you,” Logan greeted Roman as he finally made it back to camp.

“There was a bit of a problem. We were spotted. I gave them just a bit of a distraction, they don’t know what direction I took off in, but we should go as soon as possible,” Roman explained.

“I agree, though I don’t think our friend is in much condition to travel,” The centaur gestured to the merman leaning against the trunk of a tree. He was sweating a bit now, a good sign that some of his systems were coming back on and he wasn’t so dehydrated. “I gave him some water, poured some over him, cool water of course, and I managed to get the cuffs off his wrists, but not his neck. Surely that is hindering his breathing.”

“I don’t think we have much time to do anything about that, let's make sure he stays out of the sun on the journey and get the heck out of here. I was getting bored of this town anyway.” 

They ended up draping one of Roman’s cloaks over the merman, though it was very thin and lightweight, something Roman himself used to stop from getting sunburns on particularly hot days where shirts were too much. The merman shouldn’t get overheated or exposed to the sun much at all. 

After he was all wrapped up, Roman hauled the fishy friend up and onto Logan’s back, an awkward thing to witness, but the merman got the memo distantly and wrapped his arms around Logan to avoid falling off. Roman helped pack up their stuff and climbed on behind the merman. Usually he would walk beside his companion so Logan didn’t strain his back, but now they just wanted to get far, fast.

The merman let out a groan as Logan picked up speed, the bumpy ride making him look a little green. Roman prayed he wasn’t about to vomit everywhere, and it seemed luck was on his side, as the movements that previously nauseated the merman seemed to be lulling him to sleep. Roman wrapped one arm around the merman and used the other to keep them both balanced on Logan’s back.

As they broke free from the forest into a field, the sounds of very angry villagers rose from the trees, along with the clomping of hooves. 

“Better hurry up and get to the other side of the field before they break the treeline,” Roman urged Logan, who just huffed and sped up. On the opposite end of the field, the forest resumed, with the open space being a very vulnerable place to be. If the villagers got through the trees and they were still in the field, it wouldn’t be that hard to just shoot them.

Just as they reached the other side a shot whizzed past Roman’s shoulder, hitting a tree, and causing the former prince to let out a startled yelp.

“Too close! Way too close!” he exclaimed, but Logan shushed him and kept going. 

Eventually they had to stop, carrying two people and all the supplies on his back was a difficult ordeal for Logan. Roman slipped off and looked around, making sure they were completely alone before pulling their rescuee down as well. Roman removed the cloak before pouring some more water over him, particularly his tail. The merman breathed a heavy sigh and blinked open his eyes. He was looking much better than before, a good rest would do rid of his heatstroke as long as they kept him cool and hydrated. It appeared this time the merman was lucid, as when he caught sight of Roman he shrieked and lashed out, almost knocking the jug out of Roman’s hand and causing him to spill it over his lap. 

“Aw, crap!” The former prince exclaimed as the merman spat, “Who the hell are you!”

“Please calm down, we mean you no harm,” Logan tried to reassure him, sitting down, which was a pretty awkward venture for him. The merman’s eyes grew wider and wider as he took in Logan’s human and horse half.

“Wh-what are you?” He asked fearfully. Roman realized that in order to get into the lake, the merman would have had to be a guppy else he would get caught in the creek. That means he would have been less than 10 years old, and Merfolk kept their children relatively hidden from the world until they were teens and could defend themselves. That means that he hadn’t seen a lot of the different species and creatures other than humans.

“I am a centaur, my name is Logan,” He said.

“What’s going on, where am I, who are you people and why are you working with a human?” He spat the word like it was poison.

“Uh, ok, first of all, I am not a human, humans generally can’t do this,” Roman’s eyes flared up, which really only served to freak the merman out more.

“Your eyes are glowing!” He cried, “What are you? Human eyes don’t glow!”

“I’m a mage, you can call me Roman,” The mage said.

“Ok, Roman, what’s going on, where am I, and who are you people?”

“You are currently about two hours away from the town, we took you from the fisher’s backyard and are taking you to a river that empties into the ocean to reduce your risk of being captured again.” Logan explained.

“And we are a couple of nobodies trying to help the creatures from my old kingdom escape from the shit that the humans have done,” Roman piped up.

“So, will you let us help you?” Logan asked.

“Is that even a question? I’ve wanted to get out of that lake forever now! Of course I want to go to the ocean! Do you know how much harder it is to breathe freshwater?” The merman exclaimed.

“Ok, so what can we call you?” Roman asked, “You know our names, what’s yours?”

“Oh, just call me Virgil.”

“Alright Virgil, it’s good to have you on our side.”


	4. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merman Virgil is baby

“GAH!” Virgil cried, clenching his teeth tightly. Logan made an apologetic sound and tossed the broken scale to the side. In order for Virgil’s scales to grow in again, they had to pluck out the broken ones. The fisher got most of the scales out most of the time, but there were almost two dozen scales that had been broken off. They were like broken nails, except pulling them didn’t hurt like cutting nails too short, but more like pulling off the whole nails. An extremely painful feeling, but leaving the broken scales could cause infection, swelling, and a lot of pain, maybe even permanent damage to Virgil’s tail. Logan was systematically removing the broken scales, the merman using Roman to lean against, sitting between his legs and against his chest, one of Roman’s hands in his, currently being crushed as Virgil tried not to scream. They had taken off the metal shackle around his neck, and now were removing the broken scales.

“You doing alright? Do you need a break?” Roman asked, trying to make sure this wasn’t too much for the merman.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Virgil hissed through his teeth as Logan worked out another scale. Roman winced as Virgil’s grip on his hand tightened further. His hand was gonna be majorly sore later. He didn’t complain about it, Virgil was in terrible pain at the moment. 

After his tail was all bandaged up, Virgil curled up on his side, hiding his face, and turning away from them. He was breathing pretty heavily, no doubt trying to calm himself down afterward.

After a minute, Roman realized Virgil wasn’t calming down, in fact he seemed to be trembling, and it hit the former prince. Virgil had been stuck in a tiny pool for who knows how long, every morning getting his scales plucked out, that has to have a mental effect on him, and they had just sat him down and pulled out his scales, even if it was for the best. 

“You ok?” Roman asked. Virgil flinched and curled up further, but nodded.

“N-need a m-minute,” he murmured. Roman moved a little closer, still leaving Virgil sufficient space, but he was in the merman’s line of sight. He brushed a space of dirt free of leaves and swigs and drew some symbols into the dirt with his pinky. Virgil peeked at him curiously, sniffing. After a moment, Roman’s eyes glowed and from the dirt swirled up two tiny dancers made of the soil. Virgil’s eyes widened, watching the two dancers twirl around each other. One was wearing a classy suit, the other wearing a flowing ball gown. 

The two boys watched the dancers, for a while, Virgil slowly calming down, enraptured by the dance, and Roman smiled. Logan joined them eventually, and the three sat in comfortable silence.

“Roman…” The mage looked up, the dancers pausing mid twirl, “Thank you.”

~~~

The journey was a lot slower going than Roman and Logan expected. The river was supposed to be a two day trip away, but Logan had to stop for breaks so he didn’t hurt his back, Virgil turned out to be motion sick, something strange for a merman to have, so they had to take longer breaks so Virgil didn’t hurl, and keeping him from becoming dehydrated took much more water than expected, so they had to search for water sources to keep him moist. Roman used a mist spell around Virgil’s tail, but it took a lot of energy to draw water from the air, so they had to keep the jugs full. That, combined with the stops each night stretched the trip out much longer, so that after two days, they were only about a third way there. Virgil wasn’t complaining, but it was clear to see that he was starting to get antsy from sitting on Logan’s back all day, not able to move much. Merfolk are energetic creatures by nature, and sitting still was not something easy for them.

Roman could see how much their new friend wanted to move around freely, but that’s difficult. So as they traveled, Roman kept his eyes out for any ponds or creeks deep enough for Virgil to swim in. Some time in the afternoon as they travelled through yet another forest, Roman spotted what seemed like water.

“Just a minute guys, why don’t we take a break, you look a bit worn, Lo,” Roman suggested.

“I suppose, though I could go a little while longer,” Logan said, but he was quite worn out, he had gotten overheated at some point and removed his shirt, something the centaur rarely did. 

“I think I see a pond we can cool off in.” The mage insisted, leading them to the water, and sure enough, it was fairly wide and deep, big enough for fish to be swimming near the bottom, barely visible.

“Wanna go for a swim, Virge?” The merman was sitting straight up, eyes trained on the water and the usually thin slits of his pupils were expanded in excitement. Logan walked to the edge of the water as Roman slipped off his boots, overshirt, and pants, leaving him in his boxers and undershirt. He reached up and took the cloak off of Virgil and let the mist spell drop before helping him off of the centaur’s back. Virgil squirmed in Roman’s arms until the mage pretended like he was going to drop him, earning a startled shriek and a slap to the arm.

“Don’t do that! You scared the shit out of me!” Virgil cried. 

“Alright, alright,” Roman waded into the water before he swung virgil backwards and tossed him into the water, creating a splash and a very startled merman.

“ROMAN!” Virgil cried as he resurfaced, splashing the former prince. His anger didn’t last long though as he realized he could swim freely, and dove back under the water. Roman gasped when he saw Virgil’s tail under the water. It was scabbed over, the bandages having been taken off the day before, but even with the scabs, his scales glittered under the light. The purple was twice as vibrant under the water, and his fins flowed gracefully with each flick of his tail. Out of water, Virgil always seemed a bit awkward, but for obvious reasons, he was in his element in the water. 

Roman’s observation of the merman was cut short when Logan splashed into the pond, sending water everywhere, soaking Roman from head to toe. The centaur had discarded all of their supplies on the side of the pond and was happily cooling himself off, Virgil swimming playfully around the centaur in a circle, having fun but still wary of Logan’s hooves. Roman grinned and joined in the fun, diving in and splashing the other boys.


	5. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new friend and new hope.

Roman shivered, moving a bit closer to the fire. He was starting to regret hopping into the pond, as the evening air was absolutely frigid, and he was still trying to dry off. Logan had it worse, his fur holding in the cold water while he dried himself off by shaking instinctually every once in a while. The cold water didn’t seem to bother Virgil, who explained it as the fact that he was meant for the cold, which is why he got heat stroke so easily. Obviously, the merman opted to stay in the water for the night, but Logan and Roman stayed on land. 

A little while after everyone settled down for the night, Roman heard quiet splashing and a wet hand tapped his shoulder. He sighed and rolled over to look at Virgil. He should have laid down further from the water’s edge. 

“Whatcha need, bud?” He asked in a whisper, Logan got quite grumpy if he didn’t get a full eight hours of sleep. 

“C-can you do it again?” The merman whispered back.

“Do what?”

“The dancers.” Roman chuckled, tracing the patterns into the dirt and brought the dancers to life. Virgil rested his chin on his arms and watched in awe. Roman smiled gently. The merman was adorable, and he would admit that fact. Merfolk in general were curious and cute creatures. 

The two watched the dancing figures until neither could keep their eyes open.

~~~

Roman awoke to the smell of cooking fish and chattering voices. He yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He didn’t recognise one of the voices, and that alone caused him to wake up immediately. He didn’t see anyone new, Virgil and Logan were eating fish, simple enough, but the voice kept talking.

“Most people expect me to be vegan or something, but fish are actually pretty mean and don’t care, and all the cows I’ve talked to say they would rather give milk than be eaten. I avoid meat though.” Roman gasped when he realized that the frog sitting on Virgil’s tail was the one talking. 

“Oh, good morning Roman, we met a new acquaintance. This is Patton.” Logan introduced. Patton hopped off of Virgil’s tail, flashing for a moment before a curly haired, freckled man with pointed ears and round glasses stood in place of the amphibian.

“A shapeshifter? I haven’t seen one of your kind in almost a decade. I’m Roman,” The former prince jumped up and held out a hand for a handshake, surprised when Patton went in for a hug instead. “Oh, why you’re friendly.”

“Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve met new friends,” The shapeshifter moved back. 

“It’s fine, nice to meet you.” Roman replied, “How did you find us?”

“I didn’t find you, y’all found me. I’ve been living at this pond for a few months because I got stuck in my froggy form. I was injured, and I can’t change form when injured. Logan helped me out and now I’m as good as new!” The excitable boy danced around happily. “I can’t wait to eat something other than bugs again!”

“You were injured? How?” Roman asked.

“Some kids were trying to catch the frogs at this pond, and I happened to be taking a nap. They were stringing the frogs onto a fishing line I believe, without even putting them out of their misery. When they grabbed little ol me, I kinda panicked. They had gotten the needle into my cheek before I started begging them not to hurt me. That gave them a bit of a scare, but that needle was stuck there for a while, hurt real bad. I couldn’t change back while it was still there, but Logan got it out for me and patched me up!” Patton chirped, very cheery for a story like that.

“Well, breakfast has been prepared,” Logan said from near the fire. Roman snickered when he saw that the centaur’s cheeks were red with a flush of embarrassment. Patton plopped down next to Virgil, gobbling down the food he was handed. Virgil ate his fish raw, making happy noises as he ate. 

“I heard you guys are going to the river that empties into the ocean. Do you mind if I tag along? I’ve been trying to find members of my family, and I used to have cousins that lived near there before the war. They might have gone there after the kingdom fell. Are you guys from the kingdom? You know what I’m talking about, right?” Patton rambled on. Roman stiffened at the question.

“Yes, I’m from the kingdom and so is Logan, I’m not sure about Virgil,” He said. Virgil nodded.

“Really? Where did y’all live?” Patton bounced in excitement. 

“I don’t know, I was just a guppy. My family hadn’t shown me surface yet,” Virgil said.

“I lived in a small town known as Fitell, my family owned a farm,” Logan answered.

“I lived in the castle,” Roman admitted quietly.

“The castle? Wow! Were your parents servants there?” Patton’s eyes seemed to shine with excitement.

“No, my family was not part of the castle staff.”

“Then how’d you live there?”

“I was one of the twin princes.” 

The group went silent. Logan was already aware of this, and therefore unbothered, but Roman hardly told anyone.

“You are Prince Roman?” Patton asked in a whisper.

“Former Prince Roman. I’m not a prince anymore, my kingdom was destroyed, my parents murdered, and my brother captured with grave injuries. He likely died. I should have died that night.” 

“The scar on your back?” Virgil started, and Roman looked up, “I noticed it when we were swimming yesterday. It seemed out of place and older than the rest of your scars. Was it from that night?” Roman nodded.

“I got shot in the back with a crossbow. My brother was shot twice. Merfolk tried to help get us to safety, but the woman helping Remus was caught in a net, taking him with her. I haven’t heard a word from him since. I’ve given up trying to find him. It’s been 12 years.” Roman gently wiped his eyes, the night was a terrible, blackened memory in his mind. “I’ve accepted that he’s probably dead.”

“N-No he isn’t!” Virgil spoke up, “To my knowledge, at least two years ago he was alive!”

“W-what?” Roman stammered.

“I met a Naga. He was getting water from my lake, trying to avoid the villagers by being on the other side from the village. He said he was traveling with one of the former princes, one with green eyes. You don’t have green eyes, but I bet your twin does, right?” Virgil asked.

“Yes! Yes, Remus has green eyes! Did he say anything else?” Roman pleaded.

“Not much, it was some time ago, but he mentioned they were looking for one of the kingdom’s outlaws, who the former prince knew.” Virgil scrunched up his nose, trying to recall. 

“I’m an outlaw in this kingdom! He was looking for me! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you, thank you Virgil!” Roman jumped up and hugged Virgil, the merman letting out a startled squeak.

“My brother is alive!” There were tears of happiness running down his cheeks, “Thank you for telling me that.” Tentatively, webbed hands wrapped themselves around Roman in return.

“No problem, Princey.”


	6. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travelling through a kingdom that wants your head is a perilous venture.

Roman had a new pep in his step, now that he knew at least one of the members of his family were alive. Everyone seemed to be a bit more uplifted with how happy Roman seemed. They were getting close to the river at this point, having travelled two more days, so Virgil was in very high spirits as well.

As they travelled, they learned new things about their new companions, like how Virgil had retractable fangs for hunting, or Patton’s forms were the frog, a large fluffy saint bernard, a white duck, and a siamese cat. He usually stuck to the frog or cat so he wouldn’t be too heavy on Logan’s back, which the centaur was very grateful for.

On the morning of the fifth day, Roman was helping Virgil onto Logan’s back when he heard a loud whistle. It was followed by several more whistles, rising in pitch as the noise continued to painful sounds. All four people had to stop to cover their ears, pained noises escaping Virgil’s mouth, who had much more sensitive hearing than them.

As hooded figures emerged from the woods, led by a man on a griffin, Patton let out a whimper. The griffin’s wings were bound in a way that made it clear he would only be able to fly if the man on his back wanted him to. The magnificent beast had a dull look in his eyes, no trace of the wild creature a griffin really was. 

“Hunters,” Roman breathed at the same time as Logan scooped up Patton, who was in his cat form at the moment, and Roman hurriedly shoved Virgil onto Logan’s back and jumped up himself. Logan took off, and the hunters, as Roman called them, let out a shrill whistle and they chased after the group, the griffin rider in the lead.

“Wh-Who are those people!?” Virgil shouted over the wind.

“Bounty hunters. They are a guild dedicated to catching people like me. Especially me.” Roman explained.

“Why especially you?” Patton asked from Virgil’s lap. 

“Because I have a history of freeing their griffins. They had 3 more in captivity at one point but I let them go,” Roman replied. 

“We let them go,” Logan corrected.

“Oh of course, we let them go.” Roman let out a chuckle, but it was cut off by a sharp prick in the back of his neck, and a numb feeling spread from the point. He reached behind his head and grasped onto a cylindrical item. Bringing it around to look at it, the former prince realized it was a dart. He looked back to see someone on a horse holding a dart blower, his vision was going blurry and his head was spinning. He swayed, Virgil looked back at him, and he could hear the merman asking if he was ok, but it sounded underwater. 

At some point he lost grip of Logan and toppled off of the centaur, slamming into the ground in a way that made pain shoot up his spine and ribs, the breath leaving his lungs in a woosh. He let out a cough, but at that point his mind was too muddled and confused to understand what was going on. He distantly recognized the sound of horse hooves approaching him and hands under his armpits attempting to lift him. There was a pained grunt and a thud next to him, and then the world faded to black.

~~~

When he came to, the world was still black. He was wearing a blindfold.

“Hello?” He tried to call out, but it was muffled by a gag in his mouth. He tried to reach up to remove the gag, but his hands jerked back after moving them a bit and he realized he was handcuffed. Trying to move his fingers proved only that he had covers over his hands, keeping them in fists. Roman started to panic, thrashing and struggling against his bonds. A door opened in the distance and Roman yelled into the gag, trying to get their attention.

“Shh, c’mon I’m not supposed to feed you if you’re acting hostile and I really don’t want to starve you, just quiet down a moment so I can take off your gag.” A shaky voice said. Roman growled in the back of his throat, trying to convey how upset he was. 

“I know I know, just don’t take my fingers off, I don’t like doing this job, but here we are.” Hands reached out and pulled the gag out of his mouth. 

“W-where am I?” Roman asked. He still couldn’t see anything, but at least he could speak.

“You’re in the dungeon of the Pricente castle,” The person replied.

“Heh, they finally caught me, huh?” Roman let out a chuckle before remembering his companions. “What about my friends? Are they okay?” 

“They, um, they got caught. The merman is going to be shipped back to the fisherman who caught him in a few days. They are still trying to find where the centaur is from, his tagging is really faded. The shapeshifter is going to be auctioned off...the same day you are to be executed.” The man’s voice wavered as he said the word executed. 

“I should have known. Even if I am a mage, I caused a lot of trouble for slavers, but I’m not sorry for what I’ve done.” Roman growled.

“I wouldn’t be either, you did great things.”

“Well, I see not all humans are complete assholes that forget that the magic creatures still have feelings and lives.”

“You can’t expect us to all think the same way. Open up.” the conversation paused so Roman could take a bite of pasty oatmeal. He made a disgusted face, which earned a chuckle from the guard.

“Anyway, we gotta finish up and get out of here.” the guard said. 

“You gonna gag me again?”

“I have to. The chief doesn’t want you to be able to cast spells or whatever it is you do, so he’s restricting every kind of movement.”

“Of course.”


	7. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman is to be executed but nothing goes according to plan.  
> (Tw: near death experiences)

The next few days, Roman hardly moved at all. Every flinch and slump brought a yank from the chains that rubbed against increasingly chafed skin. He could have attempted to scare the guard, who eventually introduced himself as Thomas, into letting him go by threatening a hex on him, but he had the feeling that he would see right through it. Everyone knows that a mage’s real power lay in their eyes, and once they cannot see their target, they cannot hex them. It was why the mage’s eye was such a popular item on the black market. So he just whittled down his hours, only broken by the twice daily meals, his only indication of passing time.

Thomas proved to be a intresting conversationalist, having joined the ranks of the guards in order to protect the people, but ending up on dungeon duty instead. The guy was incredibly lonely, and only got 20 minutes to feed Roman before leaving him in the silence again. For this reason, Thomas spoke in a very hurried voice, trying to get everything out, updates about the kingdom, the status of his friends, (Thankfully Logan’s markings were very faded and hard to trace, the fisherman was throwing a fit about having to come pick Virgil up and making arrangements to transport him, so they had time, and there was still time before his trial to do something for Patton) and bits of personal stories before that time was up. Roman relished the bits of conversation he got from these encounters, even if it was hard to understand the human at certain points. Other than that, he was being driven slowly mad by the silence and restraints.

The day came where Roman was to be executed. He put on a brave face, obviously, but he was terrified. His legs ached from being forced to walk after sitting in the dark for so long, and even through his blindfold the sun was burning his eyes. He was led up some stairs, hearing the guards chuckle as he stumbled on the steps up to the gallows. He gasped as his blindfold was ripped off, and he blinked rapidly as to not blind himself in the sudden sunlight.

He was in the middle of an arena looking area, with crowds of people filling the stands just to make a day out of his hanging. Many gasped as his ruby eyes were exposed, but laughed as they saw how terrified Roman looked. He was about to meet his end, just as he learned his brother was alive and looking for him. He looked all around, spotting Patton in a cage, ready to be auctioned off, watching Roman with wide, teary eyes. He looked up at the clear sky, trying to take it all in for the last time, when he noticed something in the air, flying lazy circles overhead. It was much too large to be a bird.

Roman guessed it was just the head bounty hunter on his griffin, watching as the one who got away too many times was finally put to rest.

The rope was wrapped around his neck, his gag was removed, and he was allowed to say his last words.

“You people are sick! I’m trying to save the people of my kingdom, which you destroyed! They are tortured and exploited and NONE of you see how that isn’t ok? They are being murd-”

“Enough!” The king himself, who had come to watch the hanging of one of the most notorious criminals they had, shouted. “You, Roman Heden, are NOT a prince. Your ‘kingdom’ is long dead and gone. It was a danger to society, and it needed to be taken down. I will not have anymore blasphemy spew from your mouth!”

“What are you gonna do? Kill me again?” Roman shot back. The guards gagged Roman once more and moved to the lever, preparing to pull it when a griffin shriek rang loudly through the square, ear piercingly loud. As the lever was pulled and Roman felt his heart stop, the ground disappearing beneath him, something sliced through the rope and the former prince crashed to the ground under the gallows, a huge shadow gliding over him. Roman could have cried at such perfect timing, and he did. 

“What’s going on!?” The onlookers cried, as the head bounty hunter leapt from his seat and screamed, “That man stole my griffin!” 

“Ya Damn right I did!” Whoever was on the griffin yelled. It swooped by again as Roman crawled out from beneath the Gallows and a pair of arms reached down and grabbed him, plopping him onto the beast’s back. 

“What the hell is going on?!” Roman cried. 

“I just saved your life, thank me for it please!” The rider said. Roman couldn’t quite see his face, but there was something about his voice that sounded familiar. He flew toward Patton’s cage and grabbed the whole thing, earning a terrified cry from the shapeshifter.

“The centaur and merman are outside the city, so we’ll stop by and get them too.”

Logan was in the stables, absolutely causing havoc for the people trying to decipher his faded tags in his hide, and when he saw Roman on the back of a griffin he doubled his efforts, kicking a stable hand in the stomach with his hind legs and making a run for it. The griffin rider kept away anyone who tried to give chase as they raced for the tank carriage meant to transport Virgil. Logan unhooked the horse attached and put the harness on himself, taking off into the forest.

“Good luck!" A familiar voice yelled, and Roman turned to see a guard waving with a shit eating grin on his face that said he definitely helped them out.

"Thanks, Thomas!" Roman yelled back after recognizing the voice. The guard gave a thumbs up and turned to help up the injured people.

"So, after all this time, I've finally found you." The griffin rider turned in his spot, sparkly green eyes meeting firey red ones. "You're a bitch to track down, Roman."


	8. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion, and meeting a new friend(?)

“Oh...Oh my God,” Roman breathed, “Remus?” 

“The one and only!” The man in front of him was almost unrecognizable, but it had been 12 years since they had been together. His face had stubble growing everywhere, as if he had just skipped shaving that morning, and he had a scraggly mustache. A white streak ran down the front of his brown hair, and he had a grin on his face, revealing a chipped front tooth and a gap between his two front teeth. He was built like a traveller, that was for sure, not too much muscle, but enough to show how long he’d been in the wild. 

“Holy shit!” Roman covered his mouth. “Virgil was right! You aren’t dead!”

“Dead? You think a couple arrows can kill me? They got close, but not close enough!” Remus laughed. The griffin under them made a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter as well.

“I saw you get pulled up by the net? How’d you escape?” Roman asked.

“Well, I don’t actually remember much, I was pretty out of it, but I ended up a slave for a year and a half before my master’s bought a young naga, who was quite the manipulative little thing. They treated him like an oversized puppy, and for the most part he was docil during the day, but at night he would scheme with me to make our great escape. We stole a lot of things from the people before escaping at night, and we’ve been friends since. We’ve been travelling around, stirring up trouble, drifting from place to place when I learned about the notorious Roman Heden, former prince, rescuing magical creatures and giving the humans their just desserts. So we started looking for you but damn, you sure were good at not getting caught, considering the bounty over your head. I can’t believe it took a public lynching to finally catch up to you.” Remus laughed again, punching Roman playfully in the shoulder. Roman laughed nervously, rubbing his neck where the rope was still hanging. His heart was still pounding in his chest from the near death experience. 

“S-so where are we going?” Roman looked back to see Logan galloping below, tugging the carriage behind him. 

“A little camp in the woods. My friend is waiting there. The naga. He’s a bit self conscious though, so don’t mention the scars.” Remus called back, beginning to bring the griffin down to the trees. 

Scars? Roman wondered, bracing himself for whatever may happen. Logan pulled up beside them, panting heavily, fanning himself with his hand. Roman hopped down and helped him take off the harness.

“Is there a body of water nearby for our companion?” Logan asked Remus without looking as he helped get the rope from around Roman’s neck. 

“Yep, there is a river nearby, it leads to the ocean.” Remus chirped. 

“Really?” Roman asked, “That's perfect!” Roman went around to the back of the carriage to tell Virgil, only to find him curled up at the bottom of the tank, breathing very slowly.

“I believe he was tranquilized,” Logan said as he came up behind him, “We’ll have to bring him to the ocean tomorrow instead.” 

Roman nodded, though he felt worry well up in his chest for the merman. Logically, he would be fine, but Roman tended to leave the logic to Logan.

“Remus! You said you were going to get your brother! Why did you bring back a whole circus!” A voice called from the camp. Logan turned around, startled.

“Remus? That’s who-” His surprised exclamation died down once he got a good look at his best friend’s brother, and his face turned beet red. Remus shot him a wink before approaching the figure, who was wearing a long cloak, though a thick yellow snake tail could be seen winding its way out. As the two spoke, Roman and Logan worked on opening Patton’s cage, who hopped out in frog form with a sigh of relief. Roman picked him up and plopped the shaken shapeshifter on his shoulder, where he sat content. The group approached the pair, where the naga was hissing angrily at Remus, but straightened up when he noticed the group. The hood covered most of his face with shadows, but his mouth was visible, and Roman could see a scar on the left side of his face, which stretched over his lips on that side, making his tight smile lopsided when he turned to them.

“Hello, I am Remus’s companion, you can call me Janus, it’s quite a pleasure to meet you.” the Naga said in a sickeningly sweet voice that told how distrusting he was of them, “I only expected one of you, but it is a pleasure nonetheless.” He didn’t hold out a hand to shake, not that Roman expected him to. 

“I’m Roman-”

“Ah Roman! I’ve heard all about you! Although you were always much smaller in the descriptions, you still are just as cute as described! Those wanted posters never really did your looks much justice!” Janus exclaimed, this time reaching out and tossing an arm around Roman’s back as Roman turned red in embarrassment. Afterward he moved away, about to continue, but Patton protested from the former prince’s shoulder.

“Hey! That belongs to Roman! Give it back!” The frog croaked. Janus turned around, expression not revealing anything. 

“A talking frog? Well, not unheard of, but I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, my amphibious friend.” He said slyly. Patton launched himself from Roman’s shoulder, turning in midair and shifting to his human form before marching up to Janus, who looked startled, to say the least, snatching the pouch Janus had concealed under his cloak.

“Stealing is wrong!” he snapped, before plopping the bag of coins in Roman’s hand and turning into a saint bernard to sit vigilantly at his feet. Janus looked shaken for a moment at least by his mouth, which was hanging open, the whole group silent before Remus burst out laughing.

“Holy crap, Janus, you should see your face! He really passed that test with flying colors didn’t he? Hahahaha, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you surprised!” The green eyed mage cackled.

“Test? We weren’t informed there would be a test upon arrival,” Logan spoke up. Janus cleared his throat, straightening.

“I-I perform a test on new companions, to see how aware they are of their surroundings, and trusting they are of strangers, by pickpocketing them. If they fail, we don’t keep them around long, and I keep their stuff. But it seems your… guard dog is always looking out for you. You passed.”


	9. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the river

“C’n you do th’ dancers?” A quiet voice asked, slurred from the leftover tranquilizers in his system, leaning over the side of the tank.

“Sure.” Roman leaned over and scooped up a handful of dirt, placing it on the inside of the carriage before summoning the tiny dancers.

“They’re both boys th’s t’me.” Virgil pointed out in confusion, which Roman mimicked.

“Huh, I guess they are.” The dancers were both dressed in snazzy suits, though they swung each other around in a lively and wild dance. It made the mage chuckle. Virgil followed suit, sinking to the bottom of the tank so that he could watch closer.

“You ready to make it to the ocean?” Roman asked.

“I don’t know…” Virgil admitted, letting out a sigh. His voice was more muffled now that he was underwater. “I lived in the lake for a really long time. What if my body can’t handle salt water anymore and I die? What if the creatures are hostile toward merfolk? What if I get caught by fishermen again?” 

“Hey, hey, its ok. I’ll always be here to rescue you. Besides, you’re a merperson. They can survive in basically any water you toss them in.” Roman reassured him.

“How will you know if I’m in trouble?” Virgil asked. Roman stood with a grunt, approaching the tank. Virgil swam up to meet him. Roman gently took the merman’s face in his hands, earning a flustered noise from said merman. Roman leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Virgil’s, mumbling a quiet spell, Virgil’s eyes widening as Roman’s started glowing slightly. 

He felt lightheaded for a minute before Roman pulled away, smiling. 

“What did you do?” Virgil asked, bewildered. 

“I connected us. I’ll know when you’re in trouble, and I can send help.” Roman looked proud of himself, and Virgil felt Roman’s pride rush over him, startling him.

“Woah, we can feel each others’ emotions?” He breathed. 

“Not usually as strong though, but we are pretty close together, so they are stronger.” Roman explained. “We’ll be able to send emotions to each other to communicate, and we might even appear in each other’s dreams.” 

“Woah…” Virgil placed three fingers to his forehead where Roman’s had been pressed against his. He looked back up at Roman. “Thank you. It makes me feel a lot better that you’ll be able to know when I’m in danger. But, I live in the water, and you live on land. How would you help?”

“I can use a spell to breath underwater,” Roman smiled, “Being a mage is pretty cool.” Virgil let out a small giggle, satisfied.

“I think I’m ready to see the ocean.” Virgil said quietly, “Thank you, Roman, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in nearly ten years. You and Logan.” The merman blushed gently, swimming to the corner of the tank and hiding his face. Roman smiled and shook his head, stepping out of the carriage to the hustle and bustle of the camp. Remus was trying to wake up Janus, he explained this as Janus being cold blooded, so he gets sluggish overnight, and since the sun was not properly up, it was still quite chilly, causing Janus to refuse to get up. 

At some point Patton tried to help, still in his dog form, but Janus decided the furry Saint Bernard was a perfect heat source, and grabbed him, wrapping as much of his body around Patton as he could.

“I am not gettin up until I’m warm.” Janus growled, burying his face in the fluffy fur.

“I guess this is my fate,” Patton huffed.

Logan was cooking breakfast, no expedition should start without a healthy breakfast. Remus had some salted fish that he was roasting, alone with some potatoes they had stolen from a farm. His cooking was interrupted every once in a while by his little glances toward Roman’s brother. Roman made his way to his friend, sitting next to the centaur. 

“You finding my brother interesting?” He teased. Logan turned red and huffed.

“You never informed me that your brother was so… easy on the eyes,” Logan said in an accusatory tone, as if it was Roman’s fault for his infatuation with Remus. 

“In my defense, I haven’t seen him in 12 years,” Roman laughed. Logan grumbled and finished up breakfast, Roman leaving to eat with Virgil, who was absolutely famished after being so tranqued up for the last few days he hardly ate anything.

Janus finally roused after the sun started trickling through the trees, cloak covered in dog hair. They picked up camp and strapped Logan into the carriage, Roman and Remus sitting coach, Patton as a Duck flying around or hanging out on top, and Janus able to move fast enough to keep up with Logan on their 3 hour journey to the river. 

An hour in, the sun was beating down on them, heating up the black carriage enough that Roman decided to check in on Virgil. He found him at the bottom of the tank, panting in the water. Roman dipped a hand in, and it was lukewarm, too warm for a merman. 

“Virge, come here, maybe I can help cool you down.” Roman said, eyes flashing as his left hand covered itself in frost. Virgil immediately swam up and pressed his cheek against Roman’s hand, sighing in relief.

“Thank you, Roman,” The merman breathed, and Roman’s face lit up red. He held his hand there for the rest of the trip, growing redder and redder as Virgil rubbed his face all over to stay cool, letting out pleased chrring noises. 

Eventually, the carriage stopped, and Remus popped down from the coach seat to tell them they were there. 

“You ready?” Roman asked. Virgil nodded nervously, reaching up so Roman could get him out of the tank, grunting with the effort. 

The air was crisp with the shade provided by trees, and with a shock, Roman realized he recognized where they were. The shore where, Roman and Remus had plunged into the water as 10 year olds with arrows sticking out of their skin, the night the kingdom fell.

“Wow, this...sure does bring back memories, huh?” Remus chuckled, nudging Roman and trying to ease the tension. Roman could feel his muscles locking up, tears welling up at the sight of so many traumatic memories. He hadn’t realized they were in the land that once belonged to his kingdom. The smell of smoke from the burning castle, the gunshots that brought down servants, the whistle of the arrows, the pain in his back, the icy water, rushed back to his mind all at once, and his breath hitched with an unexpected sob. He had spent so long repressing the memories of that night, he had forgotten the grief that he had not allowed himself to have, his need for survival taking over the mourning.

“Hey, hey, hey, look at me,” A voice broke through the haze of memories on his mind, and he snapped his head down to look at Virgil, who was still in his arms. The merman reached a webbed hand up and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Guess this place has some bad memories, doesn’t it?” Roman nodded. “It's ok now, we’re here, ok? I’m here.” It made something inside Roman shift and his face crumpled, sinking to his knees and sobbing loudly. Virgil gently hugged him, running fingers through his hair while he made calming noises. Even Remus looked uncomfortable, but it was evident from his face that he had likely had a similar reaction when first seeing this spot again. He had been given time to properly mourn, and recovered, like Roman would.

For that moment though, Roman just cried.


	10. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bye Virge

It took Roman a little bit to calm down, but eventually he had stopped sobbing enough to notice that everyone was looking at him with worried eyes. He looked to Remus, hoping he would understand that Roman would start crying again if he tried to explain why he had randomly started bawling. Janus didn’t seem very surprised, having probably been here before and witnessed Remus’s reaction.

“Um, so funny story,” Remus started with an awkward chuckle, “This is the river bank is where we were saved by merfolk the night our parents were murdered and our castle was burned down.” Patton let out a quiet gasp.

“That’s not a funny story at all…” The shapeshifter remarked quietly. Janus covered the now humanoid form Patton’s ears, as if he knew what was coming next.

“Yeah, haha, I had two arrows sticking out of me and then Roman got shot in the back and we almost drowned, but then those merfolk saved us. I don’t really remember, I was like, half dead from blood loss…”

“Oh, Roman…” Virgil breathed softly, “Is this the first time you’ve been back here?” Roman nodded miserably before sniffing and wiping his eyes.

“It's ok though, it was over a decade ago,” Roman said, standing again and scooping the merman up.

“It’s ok to feel your emotions, Roman,” Virgil said. Roman sighed.

“Yeah, you’re right, but I’d rather just move on for now, I can feel all those lovely things when I cry myself to sleep tonight.” Roman tried to joke. Virgil looked horrified, “I-It was a joke.” 

“Oh.” Roman headed toward the river, leaving the others by the stolen carriage.

“I don’t know if I want to go,” Virgil admitted as Roman carried him to the water. He felt tender from breaking down earlier, but felt a bit better. 

“What do you mean?” Roman asked.

“Well, you guys are my friends, even though we haven’t known each other very long, you, and Patton, and Logan. I owe everything to you guys.” Virgil looked down, a blush rising in his face.

“I wish we could be together a bit more too, but, we’re from different parts of the world,” Roman sighed.

“Just one more time, can you do the dancers?” Virgil asked as Roman set him down on the steep river bank.

“One more time.” The dirt swirled up into the dancers, and Virgil gasped quietly. Looking down, Roman was surprised to see that while one dancer was still human, the other had the long and elegant tail of a merman, and the two appeared to be suspended in air, swirling around in lazy loops.

“Roman?” The former prince looked up and locked eyes with the slitted pupils of the merman in front of him, and his heart stopped. Virgil looked so awestruck, blush rising over the scales that scattered his cheeks. His purple eyes bore into Roman’s with a silent question. “Is there something you want to tell me?” Roman’s own cheeks lit up with a blush. 

“I think you’ve already figured out what it is already,” He said bashfully. Virgil’s eyes widened and he glanced up to the others before leaning in toward Roman and whispering, “You should cast that underwater breathing spell you were talking about.” 

Roman hardly muttered the spell before Virgil grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled them both down into the river, thankfully calm. Roman gasped, trying to get used to the feeling of breathing underwater, before a pair of lips were locked onto his. His eyes widened as Virgil kissed him forcefully, almost too shocked to react. Virgil attempted to pull away in embarrassment, but Roman pulled him in again, putting just as much effort into the kiss this time.

The two spun a bit in the water, gently pressing kisses to their lips, Roman’s heart hammering in his ears as the wave of emotion rose into his chest, making him want to scream in excitement or love or both or something, he didn’t know but it was the best feeling he had felt ever. Virgil looked as though he was going through the same, as he kept pulling away to let that rush of emotions out in adorable giggles that would probably sound even cuter if Roman could actually hear them properly. The former prince couldn’t help laughing as well, air bubbles floating to the surface. 

It took awhile for the two to separate, whenever Roman attempted to go back to the surface, he had to go back for a few more kisses. There was something addicting about kissing Virgil, leaving him wanting to stay like that forever, but eventually, Roman ended up on the river bank once more, giving Virgil a final kiss goodbye with the promise to visit the spot as much as they could.

Turning back to the group, drenched in river water, he gave them a timid wave. Remus smiled knowingly, and Roman blushed before Logan stomped forward.

“You never told me you could breathe underwater!” The centaur huffed. “We’ve known each other for years and you never thought to tell me? We thought Virgil had tried to drown you! It took Remus explaining it to us to stop Patton from going in after you.”

“Yeah, well, There are some things I just forget about. Besides, there are a million and one different spells I know, but I’ll never be able to write them all out on a list for you, so we’ll just have to figure them out together, kay?” Roman gave Logan a few pats on the shoulder and walked past to the carriage, very obviously pleased with himself. Behind him, he heard Remus shout “My brother is dating a fish!” to several groans. It didn’t matter. He was riding this high as far as he could.


	11. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman reflects on his new life.

Six months had passed since Roman met the merman who changed his life. Since he learned that his brother was alive. Since he was nearly hung in public. He visited Virgil every chance he got, but he was always traveling, so it was difficult to find each other. The emotional link between them let them see each other in their dreams, and find each other easier, but something was missing. Roman still felt that same rush as he rescued the people that were slaves to humans, joining with Remus and Janus and Patton let them become a fearsome force against slavers. Whenever they were back in the kingdom he had nearly been executed in, Thomas would secretly help them out, and they became good friends with the human, but there was still something missing from the routine. He tried to push it to the back of his mind, though, because currently, his life was almost perfect.

“So, I think Logan has the hots for my twin.” Virgil snickered at Roman’s statement. They were hanging out on a beach that wasn’t often visited by the kingdom’s subjects. The group was staying for a few days so that Roman could spend some time with Virgil. Everyone else was asleep, and Roman should have been too, but he was so excited to see Virgil that the two had decided to stay up to talk.

“I mean, I’m sure you’re right about that, but why do you think it?” Virgil asked.

“Look at them. Is there any way it’s not true?” Roman laughed, gesturing to where the rest of the group were asleep in the sand. They would definitely be complaining about that tomorrow. Currently, Logan was sprawled out on his side, using his backpack as a pillow. Remus was next to Logan, using his furry belly as a pillow. Both of them looked quite content. Virgil let out a quiet giggle.

“Well, have you seen how Janus reacts to Patton? I don’t know much about him, but I know enough to know he’d never allow anyone to do that,” The merman pointed out. Janus was curled up in the coils of his tail, cloak still covering most of his face, he hadn’t warmed up to them enough to show his face. Patton was in the shape of a cat, snuggled right up to Janus’ chest, tucked inside the folds of his cloak, just his furry little face showing.

“Oh, what? You’re right! Look at them! I didn’t know Janus was such a cuddlebug.” The couple laughed to themselves for a bit. Once it died down, there was a comfortable silence. Roman glanced at his boyfriend, and his heart hurt a bit to know that in a couple days, they’d have to separate again, and wouldn’t know when they’d see each other again.

“What’s wrong?” Virgil asked. Roman jumped a bit, startled out of his thoughts.

“Oh, nothing,” He lied. Virgil gave him a stern look.

“I can feel it through the link. You’re upset,” the merman placed a webbed hand on Roman’s arm, trying to comfort him.

“I just… I don’t like having to leave you. I hate that when I’m inland, I hardly get to see you. If I could, I’d spend every second of every day with you,” Roman admitted. Virgil sighed and moved a little closer, leaning his head against Roman’s shoulder, his damp hair tickling the former prince’s neck. 

“Just what happens when you live in seperate worlds,” Virgil murmured. Roman took his hand, frustration bubbling in his stomach. 

“I don’t know what it is, but… there’s something about saving people, it doesn’t feel the same anymore. I’ve dedicated my life to saving others. I spend my entire life giving everything to my former people, trying to be a prince to a kingdom that doesn’t even exist anymore. But for the first time, ever, there is something I actually want, but giving my life stops that.” the former prince admitted as the merman gently rubbed a thumb over Roman’s knuckles. Virgil made a soft chirping sound to encourage his boyfriend to continue. “I want to spend my life here, with you.” Virgil’s eyes widened subtly. “But always travelling inland, that’s impossible. I’ve been saving people since I was 11. I finally have something- no, someone, amazing, and I have to spend most of my time away from you.”

“That sounds like a lot of internal struggle,” Virgil admitted. 

“Well, it’s not that much of a struggle. I have to keep helping people, it's my duty.” Roman sighed.

“Hey, how many people do you think you’ve rescued?” Virgil asked.

“I don’t know, countless.” 

“How many do you think followed in your footsteps?” 

“I...don’t know.”

“Well, I heard in a kingdom down the coast, that an avian is leading a rebellion against slavery.” Roman looked over to Virgil.

“What are you trying to say?” He asked.

“I’m saying that your work has inspired many others to do the same. You have done so much. And if you decide that you want to settle down a little bit, they’ll be able to continue your live’s work.

“I-oh.. you-you’re right. Could I?” Roman huffed quietly, “But...what about them?” Roman gestured to the sleeping group. “We haven’t been together for very long, except me and Logan. I don’t know if I can leave them. I’m the leader.”

“You and Logan have been running this operation for years. He can take over. Listen to what you really want. For once in your life, make this decision just for you.”


	12. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman tries to find a way to be happy with Virgil

“Hey Logan?” Roman asked a few days after the group had left the beach where Roman and Virgil had their midnight chat.

"Yes, Roman?" Logan asked, not looking up from where he was cutting potatoes and dumping them into a boiling pot of water over the fire. 

"I was wondering, if I were to, I dunno, disappear, would you guys be ok without me?" Roman asked, leaning forward for his answer.

"Is this in regards to the talk you had with Virgil?" Logan spared a glance up to catch Roman's jaw drop.

"Y-you heard that? And-and you didn't even say anything?!" He cried out.

"Centaurs don't sleep very deeply, and I thought you would want to bring it up yourself. If I brought it up, it would seem like I was upset for the conversation taking place. I would have told you I was awake, but it was a talk you needed to have." Logan set the knife down on the cutting board, a gift from a tree nymph they had saved from a fire some kids set. He turned toward Roman. "I have seen you change Roman, you are a lot more mature now. You have found genuine love, and from what I have heard, that is rare. You want to be with Virgil, but your duties tell you to stay here. I think you have taught me enough about leadership in these past 5 or 6 years I've known you, that I can say with confidence that yes, I think that this group can survive without you. I think you should go to Virgil, if that is what you desire. You have saved hundreds of people. Now let us save you."

By the end of the speech, there were tears in Roman's eyes, and he bit his lip to keep it from wobbling. Eventually he gave in and launched himself at Logan, arms open and surprising the centaur with a hug. Logan jolted, startled for a moment before letting a small smile take over and hugging his best friend. After a few moments, they pulled away.

"Now tell me, how can we help."

~~~

"There is tales of an ancient elixir that allows those who drink it to change forms between the land and sea, and it was how merfolk were created. The people decided to permanently stay in the water and lost the ability to come back out. I don't know if it is a true story, but if it is and we find it, then I can surprise Virgil and be able to live with him." Roman explained.

"So we're going with the fairytale?" Janus deadpanned, looking down at the storybook Roman had stolen from a bookstore.

"Yep! I don't really need this elixir, but it would be the best thing in the world to be able to no longer be separated by a shoreline." Roman said, flipping through the book until he landed on the story.

"The first mermaid, here we are. The story says that when a nymph queen fell in love with the spirit of the sea, she was devastated when she couldn't be with her, and the spirit likewise. They often sat on the shore weeping together. Their tears mixed together on the beaches to create the elixir of the land and sea. The nymph put some of it in a bottle and drank it, and she was transformed into a mermaid. She travelled everyday to meet the spirit and one day decided to stay in the water. The subjects of her kingdom followed her to the waves and they became the merfolk. The elixir was hidden away in a small cave along the coast where the tears where kept safe and sound as nothing more than a fleeting memory." Roman read.

"I uh, hate to break it to you, kiddo, but the coasts are full of small caves. We'd never find it with just that.” Patton pointed out.

“Yes but when I was a little kid, there was this little beach my family visited, it was barely big enough to be a beach, and they called it the Nymph’s escape. I bet the elixir is on that beach.” Roman said, causing Remus’s eyes to light up.

“Hey yeah, I remember that! I took Janus there the night we escaped from our master.” Remus said, “I still remember where it is.” He pulled the map from Logan’s bag and spread it out in the grass. Scanning the coast, he eventually stabbed his finger at the spot on the shore that looked just like the forest around it, but Remus’s memory had never failed him before. “There it is.”

“That's less than a day's travel!” Roman happily exclaimed, “If we start now we can get there by nightfall and find the elixir tomorrow and I’ll be able to live with Virgil!” 

Logan chuckled at his excitement and rolled the map up, tucking it into his bag before working his way to a standing position. 

“Then let's get going.”

~~~

“You’re on a trip? Where to?” Virgil asked. The pair were resting in a warm watered spring staring up at the stars of their connected sleepscape, curled into one another.

“A little beach called Nymph’s escape. I’m hoping to find something here. A surprise. A present for us.” Roman ran his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair, smiling.

“Oh really? So when do you think you’ll be back?” 

“Tomorrow or the day after. When the morning comes, we’re going to start looking.”

“Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for.” 

The two spent the rest of the night in gentle quiet, just holding each other and wishing they were really there.

~~~

Nymph’s Escape was much more beautiful than Roman remembered, lush plants spilling from the forest onto the sand, bright pink and blue flowers bloomed up the northern cliffside, clinging to the stones. Tide pools dotted the southern end, filled with tiny ecosystems. The waves were rough enough to wash away any algae, but soft enough to stand up to the thighs in the water without getting bowled over. The sand clung to everything, but was unusually soft for sand. And of course, the cave was lined with the dozens of seashells he and Remus had lined up as kids that had survived due to the fact that only his family knew where it was. There was a pool in the back that had no bottom, which the twin’s parents always herded the boys away from. It was the only thing that could lead to the Elixir. The cave and tunnel itself was too small for Logan or Janus to fit, and Remus was somewhat claustrophobic after the years he spent locked in a small room in his master’s house, so it would be Patton and Roman going down.

Roman cast his underwater breathing spell and Patton shifted to a frog before they plunged into the water. 

It was dark, but Roman’s eyes glowed with magic, illuminating their way. Patton led, being a faster swimmer than Roman, and checked out the smaller tunnels to make sure they were headed the right way. 

Eventually they surfaced, in a completely different cave, and were met by the glowing spirits of the first mermaid and the spirit of the sea.


	13. 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman gets what he really wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry About how long it took to get this out to you guys. I'll be honest I completely forgot this story existed. I went back to my dashboard and realized I never finished it.

The first mermaid gasped.

"Visitors!" She exclaimed, her voice airy and twinkling. "It's been so long!"

"Calm, my love," the sea spirit's voice was smooth and calming and she reached a dark hand to the first mermaid's and took it gently. Then she turned to Roman and Patton with her striking white eyes. "What do you seek from our cave of retreat?" She asked. Roman stepped forward almost nervously.

"W-we seek the elixir of the sea." he said.

"Why would you possibly want that?" The mermaid asked. "It hasn't been sought out since we first hid it."

"I-I want to live with my boyfriend, and be able to spend my life with him. He is a merman. We live on land and in the sea separately. I want to be able to take him up on the beach and show him what it's like and land, and be able to join him in the water and swim with him like I never could. The closest I can get is an underwater breathing spell, which isn't the same." Roman explained. The mermaid sniffed a bit and looked up to the spirit.

"That sounds a bit like us, doesn't it, love?" She asked. The sea spirit nodded.

"How do we know you are being truthful, and are not just seeking the elixir for fame or to be gawked at or abused?" The spirit asked.

"I-I'll back him up!" Patton said from behind Roman, shifting into his elf-like form. "He saved Virgil's life, a-and they fell in love. They have a- what did you call it?"

"An empathy bond," Roman supplied.

"An empathy bond!" Patton declared.

"What is that?" The spirit asked.

"We feel each others emotions, and can find each other, as well as share dreams."

"Ooh, how romantic!" The mermaid cooed. She turned to the spirit. "We must let him have the elixr. He's just like we were!" The spirit nodded.

"I must see if he speaks the truth, love." The wavering form moved closer to Roman, who took a startled step back. The spirit tenderly dipped her hand into the shallow water the former prince stood in. She closed her eyes, though it was hard to see with the mist surrounding her body like a personal cloud.

"You do feel a deep love, almost as deep as mine and my beloved's. I do not think you are lying to me." She eventually stated.

"How did you-"

"I'm the spirit of the sea, dearie. Don't question it." The spirit turned and gently retrieved a small bottle. "This is what's left of the elixr. It is enough for two people. If you and your lover were to drink it, you would be able to freely traverse the land and sea as you please. But if you abuse it or try to sell it, I will know. The tears were cried in sorrow, they are to be respected."

"Of course, ma'am." Roman said, his eyes lighting up as the vial was set in his hands.

"Are you going to drink it now?" The mermaid asked.

"No, I'm going to do it with Virgil, together."

The boys left the cave to the first mermaid's squealing in joy.

_____

The dreamscape glowed a soft pink as the boys sat together through their sleep cycles, curled up together.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Virgil asked. 

"Yes." Roman softly smiled.

"Can I see it?" The merman asked.

"Tomorrow, if you meet me off of Yullen beach, I'll give you it." Roman replied.

"Sounds like a date. I need to wake up soon, the tide is coming in soon." Virgil shifted and pressed a kiss to Roman's cheek.

"Ok, I'll see you soon." They parted with a chaste kiss and Virgil vanished from the dreamscape, causing Roman to drift into a normal dream.  
____

Roman tapped his trousers with his fingers, anxiously waiting for his boyfriend to arrive. The group was waiting up the short cliff leading down to Yullen beach, wanting to watch when Roman asked Virgil about the potion. What they didn't know about was the ring that Roman twisted around in his pocket, a delicate vine twisted metal adorned with a tiny sapphire, as well as an accompanying chain to string it on to prevent it from being lost in the sea.

When Virgil popped his head up from the waves, Roman's stomach leapt into his throat and his heart pounded in his ears. He smiled and waded into the water to greet Virgil with a kiss. 

"So, what did you go on your little trip for?" Virgil asked after their short reunion.

"Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but do you know about the first mermaid?" Roman asked, his voice quivering, though he hoped Virgil believed it was out of excitement rather than anxiety.

"Of course I know the story of Lady Juni and Queen Merisse." 

"Well, remember the elixir that allowed her and her subjects to become mermaids?" Virgil's eyes widened comically.

"Roman did you-" Roman cut him off by pulling the vial from his pocket, along with the ring.

"Virgil, I've spent most of my life helping others, rescuing them, so many I can't remember them all. But you, you were different. You made me feel complete, and I fell head over heels almost as soon as I met you. Being with you is everything I ever wanted, and I hate ever being apart." Roman started, kneeling in the water and taking one of Virgil's hands in his own, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles. "I want to spend every moment of my life with you, but the land and the sea keep us apart. I went to the spirits of the sea and the first mermaid and asked them to bless me with the elixir from the story, so that we could both travel freely between land and sea, but I want to go further. I want to wed you, Virgil, and spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Tears were building in the corners of Roman's eyes as he poured his heart out to the man he loved, and his hearts soared when he saw the lovestricken look on Virgil's face.

"Roman, I'm starting to think that being caught in a fishing net was the best thing to ever happen to me." Virgil threw his arms around Roman's neck and pulled him into a long kiss, broken by their giggling.

"Is that a Yes?" Roman asked.

"Of course it is, Princey." As they kissed once more, Roman clipped the necklaced ring around Virgil's neck. He raised the small vial.

"Do you want to do this?" He offered.

"Half should work for both of us, right?" Roman nodded. Virgil took the cork out of the vial and carefully poured half the contents into his mouth. Roman drank the remainder, wincing at the salty taste. 

"How do we know it worked?" Virgil asked. Roman was quiet as dizziness took over and he collapsed into the water. Virgil caught him frantically and held him.

"I'm fine," Roman said, "look!" He pointed down at his legs and Virgil gasped as he saw them replaced by a scarlett tail, glimmering with gold accents.

"I-It worked! Roman!" Virgil squealed in happiness, wrapping Roman in a full body hug, something customary of courting Merfolk, though he had never been able to do it to Roman for fear of hurting him.

"We can really be together now."


	14. Epilouge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A true Happily ever after

It was hard to find a place to hold a wedding when you were wanted in most kingdoms, but luckily for Roman, a rebellion leading to the freeing of all non human citizens had recently happened in the kingdom Roman had nearly been hung in, and decided to pardon him, so they picked that kingdom to hold a wedding, full of dancing and music and cake. Virgil was still getting used to having legs when he left the water, but it was charming to see him swaying gently to the music, not quite having mastered gravity and balance enough to try dancing. 

Roman flitted around to different groups, remembering the face of everyone he had saved that came to wish him well in bis marriage, but he always returned to his fiance's side, like an energetic puppy.

"I'm so excited." He squealed to Virgil.

"Me too," Virgil chuckled, "There sure are a lot of people, but it's ok if I get to marry you." Roman laughed softly.

"I tried to just make a small thing, but when Thomas was invited he let it slip," Roman shimmied up to Virgil, tucking his head under his chin. Virgil had ended up being a solid half a foot taller than him with human legs, but Roman didn't mind, he fit right into Virgil's arms perfectly. Virgil swayed gently in the Music, and Roman let his eyes slip closed, basking in the scent of his soon to be Husband and the sounds of a lively celebration.

When the ceremony began, Roman could hardly contain his excitement. The cyclops wedding them had them say their vows which were kept short and simple out of pure impatience to be wed, and finally, they met in a kiss to make it official. The crowd erupted into cheers and Virgil laughed into the kiss.

"I love you so much," Roman breathed.

"I love you too," Virgil whispered back.

"Ready to go?" 

"Yep."

With that simple answer, Roman swept Virgil off his feet, no easy task for someone much shorter than him, and took off toward a window. People yelled in surprise as the launched themselves through it, transforming mid-air into the merforms and splashing gracefully into the water below. They waved up at the party before swimming away, hand in hand.

______

"Adopting guppies?" Logan asked, "Guess you can't stop helping others, even in retirement." 

Roman laughed as he ruffled the hair of the young guppy boy he and his husband had adopted after finding him tangled in a kelp forest and learning he was an orphan. Io, he said his name was. They had adopted him 6 months ago, and hadn't had a visit to introduce him to their friends.

"Well, we can't exactly make kids ourselves, can we?" Virgil piped up.

"That is true." Logan agreed. 

They were having a pleasant visit with their old travel buddies, almost 2 years after Roman and Virgil were wed and started living together in the ocean. Io clung to Roman's back having dozed off on the way there. Remus sat on Logan's back as the centaur rested comfortably on his back, arms snaked around his human waist. Janus had his hood down and coiled up not far away, heavily scarred face relaxed as he soaked up the warm sunshine, Patton in his elf form playing with the sand at his side. 

Io sleepily yawned as he awoke from his nap.

"Daddy, who are these people?" Romans's son asked. Roman smiled softly.

"This is my family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me through this story, even when Updates came slower at the end, but I'm glad to finally be able to bring this story to a close. Thank you all for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I thrive off of comments please leave some I love reading them.


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